Anyone buying an iPad 2?

[jmdaniel]

My wife bought me a $1K gift card at the Apple store last October, and I've been holding out, waiting for the next gen. That was announced today, and I am a bit non-impressed. The screen is the same resolution, the rumored SD slot isn't there... and there are rumblings that iPad3 will be out in September. Anyone buying the 2, and why?

 

[TriggerT]

At the rate Apple goes the iPad4 will be out in time for Christmas. No, I wouldn't by the 2 based on what I have read so far.

 

[Bounce]

There's actually talk that the iPad 3 may be out later this year with "stand up and notice" changes.

https://www.cultofmac.com/apple-staffer-ipad-3-is-the-one-to-make-a-song-dance-about/84275

i advised a cow-orker that had to have an ipad for xmas to wait for this announcement. she would have been better served with faster CPU and graphics (and HDMI out, and thinner, and same price, etc.). but if it were me, i'd wait for the 3.

 

[jmdaniel]

There's actually talk that the iPad 3 may be out later this year with "stand up and notice" changes.

https://www.cultofmac.com/apple-staffer-ipad-3-is-the-one-to-make-a-song-dance-about/84275

i advised a cow-orker that had to have an ipad for xmas to wait for this announcement. she would have been better served with faster CPU and graphics (and HDMI out, and thinner, and same price, etc.). but if it were me, i'd wait for the 3.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. It's time to ride anyway, and dink around with electronics later...

 

[zip]

One could spend one's entire life waiting for "the upgrade." The iPad is now well evolved.

We have two Gen 1 iPads at home (Dad's 3G and kids' wifi-only), and we like them twice as much as we thought we would. I'm really thinking of selling our non-3G model and getting a Gen 2 pretty soon. The 3G in particular is an incredible device, especially given the GPS and all. I'm no Apple fanboy, though I've been using their technology off and on since 1982.

Real-world example; We were in California looking at real estate. We were driving by a place, and in seconds, had the Zillow profile on it, and prices for all adjacent homes, then having a look at topography on Google Earth, and seeing what all the local, nearby stores, parks, etc. were on Maps. We took a look at nearby restaurant reviews and school ratings. One of the kids had to pee, so we accessed the "Sit or Squat" app to find the nearest public restroom. All this in seconds. This is seriously a game-changing device.

The new iPhone screen resolution is impressive. But I'm not sure how big a difference it will make on the iPad anyways. How HD must something be?

You could also consider the Motorola Xoom, which has had excellent reviews. But your Apple certificate won't work for that.

Btw, your wife, like mine, is awesome.

 

[jmdaniel]

Yeah, I know tech is constantly evolving, I guess I was just hoping it would have evolved a bit more for the 2. And the wife is awesome, but how many times does a guy turn 50?

 

[yamafitter]

The iPad doesn't work for me. I need to be able to download my vidoes from my helmet camera and photos from my Nikon.

I'm currently stuck with a laptop PC running Vista :angry: and it sorta works most of the time. What I'm really lusting for is a 15" Quad Core i7 MacBook Pro. I hoping to swing one in time for CFR. Life will be good then.

 

[Texan]

I'm gonna wait till March 11th at 5pm to buy one. It'll be magical.

 

[Cibrd0wn]

Work got me my ipad and i love it and hope they buy me the ipad 2. If it was my money i would keep the pad 1 and buy the ipad 3. Apple is pretty much on a 1 year product cycle and I highly doubt that anything will be new before about this time next year.

 

[monkeyman]

No SD. No true multitasking. No open source software. If you pay $800 for a device shouldn't you be able to decide what goes in it, software wise? Support from Apple costs $$$ (once warranty is up) and external support is hard to come by. Buy an Android tablet instead (too bad it's an Apple store only card!). Better yet if you can deal with a smaller screen the N900 is one of the best, most powerful devices out there (may be replaced by the N950 in the fall) with deep support from the Maemo (that's the OS name - It's Linux) crowd. The Nokia N770 (first of the Maemo tablets) still has broad support from Nokia and the Maemo community (a community of developers and programmers whom know the Maemo devices inside and out... The opposite of Apple where everything is a secret).

You can change the battery of the N900 at will, you cannot with the Apple devices . N900 has a MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB) and 32GB internal memory. The N900 is so powerful it is used to develop new software and operating systems for other devices.

Can be found on Amazon for about $350.

No I don't work for Nokia. I'm a microbiologist.

David

 

[Burnspot]

Never expected to see a retina display on the iPad 2; it would probably push the cost up too high. I also doubt we'll see an iPad 3 this year. All that being said, my wife and my mother plan to get an iPad 2 after seeing the new info. It's bringing in some interesting interfacing options that could very well turn the iPad from a pure consumption device to something you can be productive with. Personally, I don't really have a use for one...as much as I'd like to have one. Between my Macbook, iPhone, and iMac (office), I think I'm covered, lol.

On a side note, I saw an article the other day about the iPad getting FAA approval for it to replace the 20+lbs of charts pilots lug around (https://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/02/faa-ipad/). Says a lot about the reliability.

I'm not one to really step into a debate about Apple vs. Android or whatever. All I know is that Apple's managed to keep the greedy little fingers of the mobile phone companies from screwing with the interface or adding their own crapware...something I really enjoy. Don't have to wait for the phone company to decide whether or not I can receive an OS upgrade either. Somehow, I've never felt restricted about the way I can use my iPhone, so the arguments one way or the other are lost on me.

 

[topanga]

This always crops up when Apple is mentioned. You either like Apple products or you don't. Currently I still prefer the iPad to anything else out there, and I am not a loyalist by any means. I played with nearly all the Android tablets @ CES and the Xoom was the only one close to an iPad and I still liked the iPad better except for the notifications and a couple other small nits.

Most people don't need or care about being able to put "unapproved" software on their devices, Apple or otherwise. The current ecosystems work for them. Apple didn't invent tablets, but they continue to create and design products that everyone mimics and follows.

No SD. No true multitasking. No open source software. If you pay $800 for a device shouldn't you be able to decide what goes in it, software wise? Support from Apple costs $$$ (once warranty is up) and external support is hard to come by. Buy an Android tablet instead (too bad it's an Apple store only card!). Better yet if you can deal with a smaller screen the N900 is one of the best, most powerful devices out there (may be replaced by the N950 in the fall) with deep support from the Maemo (that's the OS name - It's Linux) crowd. The Nokia N770 (first of the Maemo tablets) still has broad support from Nokia and the Maemo community (a community of developers and programmers whom know the Maemo devices inside and out... The opposite of Apple where everything is a secret).

You can change the battery of the N900 at will, you cannot with the Apple devices . N900 has a MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB) and 32GB internal memory. The N900 is so powerful it is used to develop new software and operating systems for other devices.

Can be found on Amazon for about $350.

No I don't work for Nokia. I'm a microbiologist.

David

 

[Bounce]

I have a 27" iMac i5, an iPhone 3GS, and an iPod Touch.

I also have a Kindle 3 (3G+WiFi) and wouldn't swap it for a tablet-based ebook reader. My iPhone lets me surf when travelling (as does the Kindle in a limited way). The Kindle rocks with eInk, legibility, and battery life.

 

[jmdaniel]

I have a 27" iMac i5, an iPhone 3GS, and an iPod Touch.

I also have a Kindle 3 (3G+WiFi) and wouldn't swap it for a tablet-based ebook reader. My iPhone lets me surf when travelling (as does the Kindle in a limited way). The Kindle rocks with eInk, legibility, and battery life.

I'm actually thinking of using the $1K gift card for a MacBook, as my PC is getting up in years, and I think the iPad may not serve as much utility. Like you, I have a 3GS, and I also have an iPod. Love Apple stuff, but there is a bit of overlap.

 

[Burnspot]

I have a 27" iMac i5, an iPhone 3GS, and an iPod Touch.

I also have a Kindle 3 (3G+WiFi) and wouldn't swap it for a tablet-based ebook reader. My iPhone lets me surf when travelling (as does the Kindle in a limited way). The Kindle rocks with eInk, legibility, and battery life.

I'm actually thinking of using the $1K gift card for a MacBook, as my PC is getting up in years, and I think the iPad may not serve as much utility. Like you, I have a 3GS, and I also have an iPod. Love Apple stuff, but there is a bit of overlap.

Yea, the Macbook is a good idea! I've had my black Macbook 13" since 2007 and it's held up very well. I don't think I've ever had the OS crash on it, but I think the battery is starting to get long in the tooth.

 

[monkeyman]

The software is not "unapproved". It is community reviewed by Nokia employees and community members with in depth programming knowledge. This to avoid spam, ads (ads are a problem with Apple products, it's a big part of their cellular bandwidth usage and the reason ATT&T connection is so slow- Busy loading new and unnecessary ads), viruses and spyware. The majority of software for Apple on the other hand IS spyware. Ever notice the ads change based on what you've looked at using the phone to match your interests? How could they do that if they weren't watching you? It's the CIA (Kidding, of course).

What it really comes down to is what you're used to. If you like a limited device which is in control of what you do than an Apple product would be acceptable. If you like a full powered device over which you have full, and I mean full control than a tiny Linux computer like the N900 would be your only functional choice.

Me, I like to use my music player while receiving driving instructions from my GPS software, while writing a letter in Open Office while my email loads all at the same time. The N900 allows me to do that, the iPad and iPhone do not (you can jump between programs, but nothing has occurred in the windows you were not in direct contact with. I also like that the N900 provides me with an almost 28MBps wifi speed in Wireless G so that I can view videos in seconds, not minutes (speedtest (dot)net your iPad/iPhone... won't come close.). I also like that I can view all of the content on all websites including those which require Adobe Flash Player (N900 has it, iPad, iPhone do not). -This is all aimed at the iPad/iPhone and not the Macbook-

Screen shot of my N900 using Speedtest(dot)net. Notice the hour - Just when everyone gets home from work and checks their email so durring one of the greatest internet bandwith use daily periods and still faster than the iOS products.

David

A Macbook is a far better, far more usefull device than the iPad. Much better choice JMDaniel!

 

[jmdaniel]

Me, I like to use my music player while receiving driving instructions from my GPS software, while writing a letter in Open Office while my email loads all at the same time.

Lemme know when you are doing that, so I can stay off the road!!!

:drinks:

 

[monkeyman]

Me, I like to use my music player while receiving driving instructions from my GPS software, while writing a letter in Open Office while my email loads all at the same time.

Lemme know when you are doing that, so I can stay off the road!!!

:drinks:

Why? Do you think the person driving is going to hit you because I wasn't watching them?

Fine, I'll use the 5 megapixel camera (with LED flash and Carl Zeiss glass lens) to monitor them at the same time!

David

 

[zip]

Additional, semi-related note here:

When we first received our iPad, I noted that it fit perfectly into the map slot of my Yamaha FJR Tank Bag. And I thought it'd be outstanding for playing music, navigating, watching maps, checking links, etc.

And it will be,... someday.

While navigation software on the iPad is excellent - the primary problem is that the iPad would understandably shut itself off sitting in the sun, showing a message on the screen before doing so "iPad is too hot." (Note that it wasn't "Your iPad" or "The iPad"... it's like it has a human name, "iPad")

Anyhow, even for those of you who don't yet see a value proposition: you will. You may not know it yet. Tablet computing is going to kill a whole bunch of the rest of the technology sector. If you're a firm making handheld game consoles, aircraft or nautical instruments, remote control devices, college textbooks, music mixers, calculators, weather monitors, navigation devices like Garmin and Magellan, etc., etc., you should probably be terrified right now. Or invest immediately heavily in the "app" business (though you may already be too late.)

This is the most disruptive technology I've seen since Walkman, and will ultimately be vastly more disruptive. Forrester Research recently revised their estimates of tablets to be sold in 2011 from 8 million up to 24 million. Being that 15 million iPads alone have already been sold, I wouldn't be surprised to see that revised upwards again.